Report: New Deal For Mike Wallace Not Close As Season Creeps Closer

According to a report this morning by Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Pittsburgh Steelers are nowhere close to getting a new long-term deal done with wide receiver Mike Wallace prior to the start of the season. Bouchette credits the info to the infamous, source close to the situation.

While the final grains of sand are slowly trickling through the skinny part of the hour glass, there is still plenty of time for the two sides to come to an agreement. Of course not knowing exactly what one side is wanting and the other side is offering makes this all hard to handicap, but I still have no reason to believe that a new deal won\’t get done prior to the team flying out to Denver.

The Steelers have the cap room now to get a new deal done and I am willing to bet that the two sides are close in total value. The sticking point has to be the guaranteed amount and with a little over 48 hours to go before the plane leaves for Denver, we shall see if one side gives a little there.

Wallace faces the reality of earning $12.74 million total over this year and next, while the Steelers face the reality that they might have to franchise him next year. Neither side likes those realities. It makes too much sense not to get this worked out over the course of the next few days. We shall see, but time is indeed short.

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Mike has a LOT more to lose than the Steelers do IMO. If Mike is awesome, we franchise him and he is back next year. We can then plan and take a replacement for him to be signed.

If Mike plays he has some potential bad outcomes for him.

1. The Steelers become a run-oriented team and he gets targeted less. 2. Brown becomes the Steelers #1 receiver, meaning his contract could be lower not higher. 3. He underperforms during the year for whatever reason. 4. He suffers a major injury leaving the need for a “prove healthy” type contract.

Mike, I know you wanna be PAID, but please remember you are on a team. The Steelers will NOT place your importance above that of the teams.

Alex K

The Steelers cannot afford to franchise Mike Wallace next year with their cap situation. If they threaten to use the tag Wallace and his agent should laugh in their face. If Wallace doesn’t sign by Sunday he will be a FA next year and can go wherever he wants.

Kenneth Wilt

There is always the possibility that players are cut in order to make this happen. Site Admins…can we see an analysis of this, whether it works out or not.

Sylky_Mcnasty

They already did a writeup where they showed how we could still tag him next year.

Ahmad

I honestly think that Wallace will cave in to the Steelers in the next 24-48 hours. I don’t think he wants to play this season making only $2.7 million.

Intropy

Even if none of those things happen he could lose. Let’s say he wants 8 per year and the Steelers want to give him 7. Even if by playing this season under the tender he is able to get that 8 somewhere else instead of the 7, it still takes another four years to make up up for the fact that he got 2.7 instead of 7 this season. Five years is a long time in football career to reach the break even point, and that doesn’t even account for the fact that money now is worth more than money later.